Lid
Unidentified crowned female saint holding a martyr's palm and a book. Adoration of the Magi; attendants with horses; angel crowning the Virgin; Virgin holding a flower; rosettes in the spandrels; pinnacles.
Body, front
Courting couple (meeting of lovers); youth kneeling before a lady. Lady holding a dog; crouching men supporting the lock on their backs, including a bearded man with a crutch; standing knight in armour with outstretched arm. Knight lying on a bed attended by two ladies; knight asleep.
End, right
Knight on horseback charging with a spear; bearded man on horseback with a bow.
Body, back
Courting couple (meeting of lovers); lady crowning her kneeling lover with a chaplet. Lady charging with a spear and shield; knight in armour on horseback, holding a cup or chalice. Youth kneeling before a lady; trees.
End, left
Elopement; couple on horseback; knight in armour; monster on the horse’s head; castle; trees.

Object ConditionSeveral deep cracks, re-filled holes on the right end.
The ivory panels have been fitted onto a wooden core; lid is warped.
The cup or chalice held by one of the figures on the back panel is a later replacement (see Warren 2014).

CommentsThe scenes represented on the sides of the casket may be depicting romance scenes featuring Perceval le Gallois (Percival) and King Arthur. A modern copy of this casket exists in the Rhode Island School of Design Museum in Providence (Inv. 46.567).

ProvenanceCollection of Johann Friedrich Blumenbach (b. 1752-d. 1840), Göttingen/Gotha; Gotha Museum (disappeared from the Museum at some point during World War II); Weinmüller sale, Munich, 13-15 November 1957, lot 1036. Monheim collection, Aachen (in 1971). Collection of Peter and Irene Ludwig, Cologne; their donation to the Museum in 1977.

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